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Space shuttle Endeavour

Endeavour
OV-105
STS-127 Launch Pad 39A.jpg
Space Shuttle Endeavour on launch pad 39A prior to mission STS-127, May 31, 2009
OV designation OV-105
Country United States
Contract award July 31, 1988
Named after HMS Endeavour (1764)
Status Retired, displayed at California Science Center in Los Angeles, California
First flight STS-49
May 7, 1992 – May 16, 1992
Last flight STS-134
May 16, 2011 - June 1, 2011
Number of missions 25
Crew members 173
Time spent in space 296 days, 3 hours, 34 minutes, 2 seconds
Number of orbits 4,671
Distance travelled 122,883,151 mi (197,761,262 km)
Satellites deployed 3
Mir dockings 1
ISS dockings 12

Space Shuttle Endeavour (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th and final mission, STS-134, in May 2011. STS-134 was expected to be the final mission of the Space Shuttle program, but with the authorization of STS-135, Atlantis became the last shuttle to fly.

The United States Congress authorized the construction of Endeavour in 1987 to replace Challenger, which was lost in 1986.

Structural spares built during the construction of Discovery and Atlantis were used in its assembly. NASA chose to build Endeavour from spares rather than refitting Enterprise or accepting a Rockwell International proposal to build two shuttles for the price of one on cost grounds.

The orbiter is named after the British HMS Endeavour, the ship which took Captain James Cook on his first voyage of discovery (1768–1771). This is why the name is spelled in the British English manner, rather than the American English ("Endeavor"). This has caused confusion, including when NASA itself misspelled a sign on the launch pad in 2007. The Space Shuttle carried a piece of the original wood from Cook’s ship inside the cockpit. The name also honored Endeavour, the Command Module of Apollo 15, which was also named after Cook's ship.


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